EMSH's Midas Plague Cover – Galaxy Science Fiction April 1954
More painterly and humanistic than Ed Emshwiller's robot-heavy Galaxy covers of the same period, this April 1954 illustration depicts a woman in yellow reaching for a gleaming red apple on a dead, skeletal tree — an unmistakable Eden allegory set against an alien rust-orange sky and sleek futurist spires. The scene illustrates Frederik Pohl's satirical 'The Midas Plague,' where abundance becomes burden. A male figure observes in the background, grounding the surreal landscape in quiet domestic tension.
Elegant and allegorical rather than explosive, this cover rewards a second look but lacks the visceral shock of Emshwiller's more kinetic work. The Eden imagery is clever, but a newsstand browser might walk past expecting more action.
“Galaxy Science Fiction APRIL 1954 35¢ THE MIDAS PLAGUE By Frederik Pohl”
